Many dispenser devices exist or are known in the prior art for dispensing paper toweling. Quite often dispensing is from a roll of toweling, which may be either perforated or non-perforated, the dispenser operative to promote or cause tearing of individual towel segments from the roll.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,335,811, issued Aug. 9, 1994, discloses a dispenser for dispensing individual sheets of perforated paper toweling from a roll thereof. The dispenser includes a casing with a mounting for the roll in its upper portion and an outlet at the bottom. The outlet is substantially narrower than the width of the toweling. A roller is mounted in the casing for guiding the toweling from the roll mounting to the outlet.
The roller purportedly maintains the toweling at its full width. The toweling is gathered inwardly in passing from the roller to the outlet. According to the patent, upon pulling of the toweling out of the dispenser, the toweling begins to tear inwardly from its edges along the first line of perforations as the first line of perforations passes over the roller to separate a sheet from the remainder of the toweling. The tearing operation is completed outside the casing, leaving a tail end of toweling to be grasped during the next dispensing operation.
Other patents are in existence which disclose dispenser arrangements wherein paper toweling, tissue or similar products are dispensed from a roll and wherein individual segments are dispensed as a result of constricting the web material. Examples are: U.S. Pat. No. 4,659,028, issued Apr. 21, 1987, U.S. Pat. No. 2,806,591, issued Sep. 17, 1957, U.S. Pat. No. 5,131,903, issued U.S. Pat. No. Jul. 21, 1992, U.S. Pat. No. 5,211,308, issued May 18, 1993, and U.S. Pat. No. 5,215,211, issued Jun. 1, 1993.
The following patents are also considered representative of the state of the prior art: U.S. Pat. No. 4,522,346, issued Jun. 11, 1985, U.S. Pat. No. 4,520,968, issued Jun. 4, 1985, U.S. Pat. No. 3,291,354, issued Dec. 13, 1966, U.S. Pat. No. 5,318,210, issued Jun. 7, 1994, U.S. Pat. No. 5,219,092, issued Jun. 15, 1993, U.S. Pat. No. 5,135,179, issued Aug. 4, 1992, U.S. Pat. No. 5,100,075, issued Mar. 31, 1992, U.S. Pat. No. 5,058,792; issued Oct. 22, 1991, U.S. Pat. No. 4,846,412, issued Jul. 11, 1989, U.S. Pat. No. 5,205,454, issued Apr. 27, 1993, U.S. Pat. No. 5,009,313, issued Apr. 23, 1991, U.S. Pat. No. 3,770,172, issued Nov. 6, 1973, U.S. Pat. No. 4,199,090, issued Apr. 22, 1980, U.S. Pat. No. Design 357,150, issued Apr. 11, 1995, U.S. Pat. No. Design 356,707, issued Mar. 28, 1995, U.S. Pat. No. Design 347,135, issued May 24, 1994, U.S. Pat. No. Design 342,407, issued Dec. 21, 1993, U.S. Pat. No. Design 340,822, issued Nov. 2, 1993, U.S. Pat. No. Design 325,142, issued Apr. 7, 1992, U.S. Pat. No. Design 324,969, issued Mar. 31, 1992, U.S. Pat. No. Design 324,618, issued Mar. 17, 1992, and U.S. Pat. No. Design 306,384, issued Mar. 6, 1990. U.K. Pat. Specification No. 1,325,923, published Aug. 8, 1973, discloses a device for dispensing thin, flexible plastic film articles from a length of the articles detachably connected together at lines of weakness.